Christmas-tree support



Dec. 2o, 1927. 1,653,225

C. E. A. OLOUGHLIN CHRISTMAS TREE SUPPORT Filed March 17. 1926 l vE/v Tof?. CHM/.E5 ffl, louHL/N.

Patented Dec. 20,1927.

` 1,653,225 UNITED srATEs-PATENT oFFics.

enemies Env/Ann ALLAN oLoUenLiii, 0F 'sinn/ann, Mirti-rasees, AssrGNon 'ro w. wp'cnnisrrAN, or sr. ieAUn MINNESOTA. y

CHRISTMAS-Tann snjrronr.

Application filed March '17, 1926. Serial No. 95,479. l

rlhis invention relates to a support for an upright article, and 'while the invention inay have various applications, it particularly is designed for holding a Christmas tree. As is well known, Christmas trees, both natural and artificial, are used in iinniense nuinbers, and it is desirable to hav/ea siinple and elli cient support. for holding` the tree inerect position. "t is also desirable to have a support .which can be collapsed and stored in a sinall space when not in use.

' lt is an object of this inveiiition, therefore, f

to provide a very sin'iplev and. eiiicient Christn'ias tie support, one comprising veryl few parts and which can hc easily placed in operative position and easily collapsed into a compact position. l

is incre specifically an object of the invention to provide suoli a support compris-- ing a central ineinher having ineans for engaging the tree trunk, a plurality of supportf ing ineinhers pivotally connected thereto and extending therefrom, together with ai'nis` connected respectively to said supporting members adapted to he held at one end thereby and to engage the side of the tree withk their other end.

These and other lobjects and-advantages of the invention will be inore fully set forth',

in the following description inade in connection with the accompanying` drawings, in

which like reference characters refer to the' saine parts throughout the di'erent views and in which: y

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device, showing a portion of the treelield therein;

Fig. Bis a partial plan view as seen from line 2-2of Fig. 1 as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a. vertical section vtaken on linev `a short downwardly extending and substanvto the carsa by the pivot ineinbers 'i'.

section taken on linev tially ycylindrical 'flange 51 thereabout. rlhe pairs-of cars 5" project beyond the iiaiige 5b and foi-in' the supports'for the ineinber 5. Said ineinbcr also has a, pointed tongue 5C struck up iardly frein its top surface, which -point has its central axis substantially with the central airis of saidnieinber. Pivoted between each of the pairs of cars 5a is a supporting bar@ of siinple flat shape rectangular in cross section.' which bars are adapted to extendoutwardly and radially from the iiieinheiq and to have one of their longitudinal rest on the supporting surface Aiich rest the ears 5a, the bottoin edges or said ears and bars thus being inL the saine plane. iridjacent their inner ends the bars 6 are provided with a slot 6C having :i bottoni surface t3, said bars being pivoted Each of the bars G has an elongated slot 6a adja-k cent its outer end and adjacentits top edge,

which sl ot has downwardly extending spaced notches (ib inv its lower side. An arin 8 forin- .ing a brace :ii-in is provided for each of the bars o; which arins 8 are of channel shape Oi' U-shape'in cross section, having their open sides directed downwardly or inwardly. Said arins 8 have their top portions cutaway at their lower or outer ends'to form a fork, the arins of which are connected by a piv oted member 9 illustrated as a headed rivet, which rivet passes through the slot 6a, the

:sides of said fork thus being disposed respectively kat each side of the bar-*6. Pivot 9 is` of a size convenientlyto be received in` the notches 6a. lThe arinsS have their inner endsfoi'ined on an incline, yso as to forni sharpy points. f

lVhen the *devicey is to treesuch as tree ll shownin Fig. l, the bar 6 willbe folded out as shown in said figure to rest on the, supporting surface shown as l0.` rThe bottoni of the trunk of tree 11 will now be set down' firmly on the tongue 5, so that said tongue is embedded in the bottoni of said trunk centrally thereof. The trunk .thus cannot inove relativelyv to 'the ineinber 5. `The arins 8 will now beinclined upwardly and the pivot members 9 will be en' gagedin one of Mthe notches 6b.. Thearin 8 will then be pressed inwardly at its inner and upper end so that the point thereof will sinh intor the side of the trunk of the tree 1l.

' The erin willthen be held inl its upwardly inclined position and its supporting har thus be used tosupport a will be held 4down against the supporting `iii/hen all. of the )arms- 8 are thusI from the member The arms SavillthenVA be lifted slightly to disengage the members Si from the slots 6b and said pivot members may be `moved outwardly inthe slots'a to theends thereof. iii'i'ns 8 Willthen fold downwardly on top of the bars 6, the channel shape of in. I? Tihen each `arm 8 `has been thus a disposed. `the bars 6 .andLv arms SA may be :swung upwardly or inwardly relatively to imher to the dotted line position shown in Fig. d. swung"inwardly, the surface 6* will engage the arms 8 enabling-thesame tov fit overf the bars G with the sides of said .channel at each side of said bar as'shoWn-i theedge of member 5 and forin a stop.'l

Then (he members 6 are inl their inner position, it will be seen that the outei or bottom edges thereof are substantially flush With the .outer edges ofthe ears 5th All vof the mein- ,central member having means for holding a i tree trunk thereon, a plurality of circumferentially spaced supporting bars pivoted to said 4member and extending `radially-therefrom, anai'in for each bar having a forked end einbiac'ng and movable along its respective bar, a member connecting said arm .'Tilheii the members G arerthus.

ihers G are thus disposed in a relatively smallV zspace and the deviceis in avery compact position, occupying `very little space. The

point 5C is disposed.betvveenfthe` bars-6 and the arms S and the points on arms S'are dis-l ,posedi inwardly adjacent member 5, so that none ofnthese points `areapt to catch on any object The device. cannoW be stored awayy `in veryismall space:iintil its. use is `aga-m desired.

eiiicient i tree holder.

ftion.

strated in actual practice andy found to be From 'the Aabove description itis seen that device can be zvery quieldyvplacedein oper- `iativeposition andvery easily and quickly and bar movable in the latter, said bar having. a ipluraliiiy of means holding said arin in different fixed positions relative thereto, each of said arms having a pointed end whereby-it may be engaged in the tree trunk to hold the same ii'i'erect position, saidarins alsobeing adapted to be collapsed into substantially parailel;.relation to `said supporting bars Vu'hei'i' the device isin folded or collapsed condition.

A. treestand having incombiiiation, a central'memberhaving means for centering `and holdiiiga tree trunk thereon, a plurality of circumfe itially spaced supports pivoted at' their inner ends to said member and eiitendin radially; therefrom, said supports having elongated slots adjacent their outer ei :in arm` for eaclirof said supports, hav- Aing a pivot at its outerfend traversing said slot in said support, said support having kmeans for hold '1g said pivot in diient `positionsrin' said slot, said-army having a Isharpened .aimer end whereby` 'alli of. said arms may-be yfixed in .their support and have 'their sharpened ends engaged in the sides of the trunk supported on said central member. ti'eestand having in combination, a

Icentral member of sheet metal material havcollapsed into coinpactfand inoperative posif The device lhas been amply: demonvery successful and eiticient.

`:ing out the objects above set forthfin the l It Will, of course, be=understood that 'Jvarious changes `may be `made-iin lthe form, details,y proportions and arrangementfof` the .paits, Without departing fi'ointhescope of .applieants invention, which, generally stated;y consists in adevice'capable-of carrying aiplurality of cii'cun'iferentiallyispaced pairs of ears extending radiallyatherefroni andi vhaving a central, pointed tongue/struck npivaidly froingitsvtop surface, a supporting barpivoted between each pair ofears and extending outwardly ltherefrom, `said bar .having an elongated slot adjacent its outer eiid having downwardlyland. outwardly extending notches therein, a` channel shaped .armforeach of said; supporting bars having i a. forked end embracing said bar and apivot member in said forked end traversmgsaid slot' and adapted to be received in any one kofiisaid.notches, said channel shaped `arm having its inner end pointed and adapted to engagexiniatheftrunk:of a tree supported on ,said'feentral member, said channel shaped f novel parts and combinations Vof parts dis-4 closed and defined in the appended claims.

i That is claimed is: 1 LA tree stand having in combination, a.

arms also being open at their bot-toms so as ato s'svii'igtidowvn and fit over the top ofsaid supporting-barsand said -barsbeing adapted to swing upwardly and -in'ivardlyaboutsaid central member.

In testiii'iony whereof l afi'ix my signature.

'CHARLES EDWARD ALLAN OLOUGHLEN.

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